Identifying the right experience depends greatly on knowing yourself and your own expectations. Are you looking for lots of structure? How much time do you want to spend working? Amy E. Robertson compiles a few questions to consider when looking to volunteer.

The Atlantic coast is popular for sea turtles to make their nests, and Florida is a particularly favored place. There are some 70,000 sea turtle nests made annually along the Florida coastline, and most of them are made by loggerhead turtles.

In addition to beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs, the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge also protects rare swamp habitats, including the only mangrove forest on Costa Rica’s Caribbean shores.

Community tourism initiatives, whereby local Maya guides take travelers to seldom-seen locales in Guatemala’s rugged countryside, make for some extraordinary cross-cultural opportunities. Here are some recommendations for where to start your trek.

Tárcoles offers many recreation options and wildlife viewing opportunities. Take a zipline tour of the jungle canopy, enjoy a thrilling crocodile safari in the estuary, or keep an eye out for the more than 400 species of birds that inhabit the area. In addition to sharing tour information, author Christopher P. Baker recommends where to stay and eat in Tárcoles.